9 rights groups, including CPJ and RSF, urge PM to address 'deteriorating press freedom' in Pakistan

Nine press freedom and human rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, have written to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanding urgent action to address the worsening situation for journalists in the country. In their letter, the organisations expressed deep concern over the rapid deterioration of the press freedom climate in Pakistan.

They highlighted several concerning developments, such as journalists disappearing, facing detention, and being targeted by criminal investigations and pressure from government agencies. The groups were particularly alarmed by the increasing use of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and investigations by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against journalists for reporting on matters of public interest.

Authorities have also imposed restrictions on reporting in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, internet and telecommunications blackouts, and introduced new guidelines requiring foreign media outlets to obtain authorization before reporting outside major cities. The organisations demanded the immediate release of journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were reportedly seized on August 1, and called for a transparent investigation into an attack on reporter Mian Zahid Owaisi in June.

They also urged authorities to withdraw curbs on foreign media, end information blackouts, and cease interference in independent broadcasters. The groups noted the cancellation of veteran journalist Munizae Jahangir's current affairs programme and the suspension of Geo News' broadcast licence, both following pressure from authorities.

They emphasized that such actions reflect a broader pattern of journalists being removed from air after reporting on sensitive issues. The Freedom Network's annual report in May titled "Free speech and public interest journalism under siege" described Pakistan's media as standing at a crossroads, facing an existential threat due to increasingly restrictive laws and a brutal environment that makes it difficult for journalists to ask hard questions without facing severe consequences.